World championships silver medallist Kim Mickle excited about early season form in javelin

World championships silver medallist Kim Mickle says it was a "shock to the system" to open her 2014 campaign in the javelin in such impressive style at the Adelaide Track Classic.

Mickle posted her best throw on Australian soil when she claimed victory with an effort of 66.12 metres in Adelaide last Saturday night, a performance that augurs well for the year ahead.

It follows her outstanding 2013 season where she managed a personal best of 66.60m to finish second to German Christina Obergfoll at the world titles in Moscow.

The 29-year-old did not expect to be throwing beyond 66m this early in the year, admitting she was surprised by her display in Adelaide.

"It was a bit of a shock to the system to the system actually," Mickle told Grandstand.

"We were kind of preparing to maybe nail one or two A qualifiers and maybe hit the 62 (metres) mark so to hit out to 66 first up is kind of mind blowing to do it in February, so it's going to be a very exciting year ahead, that's for sure."

The javelin was the highlight of the program in Adelaide, with Mickle just edging out fellow world championships finalist Kathryn Mitchell, who produced a personal best of 66.10m with her opening throw.

Mitchell has enjoyed rapid improvement in the past two years, having placed ninth in the final at the London Olympics in 2012 before finishing fifth in Moscow, despite undergoing ankle surgery only six months earlier.

Kelsey-Lee Roberts was also competing in Adelaide, a week after throwing 63.92m in Canberra, and she took third with a Commonwealth Games B qualifier 55.02m.

Mickle is relishing having such strong competition on her doorstep and she realises she needs to step up every time she performs on the domestic circuit.

"To have girls in Australia who you can just pop over to a different state and be able to throw into a world-class event is just amazing," she said.

"If it wasn't for those girls in Adelaide I can guarantee those throws wouldn't have been as far. I've definitely got it on the tank but they definitely brought it out in me.

To hit out to 66 first up is kind of mind blowing to do it in February, so it's going to be a very exciting year ahead, that's for sure.

Kim Mickle

"We're all really good friends, we get on really well but we all hate losing to each other as well so it is really good competition."

Mitchell will get the chance to avenge her loss to Mickle in Adelaide when the Australian Athletics Tour kicks off with the Perth Track Classic on Saturday night.

Their friendly rivalry brings back memories of when Louise Currey (nee McPaul) and Joanna Nixon (nee Stone) dominated the women's javelin in the mid 1990s.

Currey, who holds the national record of 66.80m, won silver at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, while Nixon finished second at the Athens world championships 12 months later.

Mickle's PB from Moscow has her second on the Australian all-time list and she is not ruling out a tilt at the national record in Perth this weekend.

"I think anytime we jump on a track it (national record) is in danger to be honest," she said.

"In jav ... if you nail one it's going to go and it just depends on how we are all feeling. In Adelaide my expectations were around the 62, 63 mark and I surpassed that hugely, so in Perth I really don't know what is going to happen."

Mickle looking to break PB before season end

Mickle is juggling her domestic competition commitments with a solid training phase, prior to launching her overseas campaign at the opening Diamond League meet in Doha on May 9.

The Western Australian was a consistent performer on last year's Diamond League circuit, achieving top-three finishes at four of the meets.

She will add the Glasgow Commonwealth Games to her schedule this year and feels a new PB is on the cards at some stage before the season finishes.

"I think I'm just hitting my straps now and the next three years are just going to keep going up and up and up," Mickle said.

"It's kind of funny to say 66 (metres) is my baseline now but it is almost becoming a reality, which is pretty cool."